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22 Feb 2022 Cleaning your wood burning stove: A simple guide

Posted at 1:18 PMh in News by

If you have a wood burner within your home, you’ll probably know how easy it is for the dirt to build up and look grimy! Keeping your stove looking clean will make a big difference to your space, not to mention being safer than leaving the burner overflowing with ash. The question is, how exactly do you clean your wood burning stove? Luckily for you, we’ve come up with a guide on how to do just that. Keep reading for the details on how to keep your wood burner looking spick and span.

The best thing to do is clean your fireplace regularly. This will prevent it from becoming a chore when the amount of ash build-up is unbearable! Cleaning your wood burning stove in accordance with how often you use it will be handy – if you use it frequently, you may have to produce a cleaning schedule that’s a bit more regular. Don’t neglect any parts of your wood burner! You’ll need some equipment to help you along the way, such as:

  • Newspaper

Protect those floors from becoming sooty and lay this under your cleaning area.

  • Protective gloves

Make sure the ash doesn’t cover your hands and wear some gloves.

  • Brush or shovel

This will make it easier to get the ash out of your burner, rather than scooping it manually.

  • Metal container or bucket

Choose a metal container rather than a plastic one and keep all the ashes in one place.

  • Dry cloths

Dry cloths will be useful when collecting any residual dust.

Here’s how to clean every part of your wood burner:

Cleaning the interior

Cleaning the inside of your stove is mainly removing the ash. Make sure you’re wearing protective gloves, and that you have a metal bucket or container. It’s better to shovel the wood ashes into the container rather than sweep, to try and disturb it as little as possible. When disposing of them, make sure to empty the ash outside and away from anything that might be flammable. Some people add ashes to their compost, benefitting their plants!

Cleaning the exterior

This might be the easiest part in the process. All the exterior requires is a quick wipe down or hoover to get rid of any dust, and then you’re done. You can either do this with the soft brush attachments of a vacuum cleaner, or with a dry cloth. Make sure not to use a damp cloth, as this could lead to rusting on the cast iron of your wood burner.

Cleaning the glass

After continuous use, the glass door of your wood burner can become blackened and opaque. This doesn’t look very appealing for the rest of your room! You can use some charcoal from your fireplace, dampen it and rub it on the glass. Wipe this away with paper towels and your glass will be gleaming. There are also cleaning sprays you can use, as well as oven cleaner and even bicarbonate of soda mixed with a little water. Many of these options are effective!

Cleaning the flue

Cleaning the flue of your fireplace could be the most important part. Many people are at a loss about where to start, and chimney sweeping can often make us think of Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins. A lot of the time, we recommend getting a professional to carry out this part of the process, simply because the inside of chimneys and flues can be a little tricky to navigate.

Taking care of your wood burner…

You may be wondering how to take care of your wood burning stove so that your cleaning sessions aren’t as dreaded. Making sure you’re burning the correct fuel can play a big part in this. Only burn wood that is dry, manufactured coal and smokeless fuels.

If you’re looking for a chimney sweeping service or you’re in the market for a wood burning stove to clean, come to Fiveways Fires & Stoves. Give us a call on 0208 127 4747 or email . We’ll be happy to help with whatever you need!